Pronouncing a curse or a blessing

death’. Though the speaker and the hearer are very close to each other the fulfillment of this wish may take place elsewhere and later too. 18.71 t ɕur-ki mat-si-tɕit. alcohol.drink-ERG NEG-get.drunk-IMP2 ‘Let yourself never become drunk by alcohol’ Someone gives instructions to his son. The verb is unvolitional. 18.72 khit- raŋ-la ɕiwa diwa juŋ-tɕe 2PL-self-DAT outer.peace inner.peace come-SBJV jøp-pa ɕok-tɕit. EXIST-NMLZ;Q put.leave-IMP2 ‘May the inner and outer peace remain with you’ This is very much like the volitive modality discussed in the next section.

18.8 Volitive

18.8.1 Pronouncing a curse or a blessing

Volitive modality in Lhomi signals speaker’s wish, a prayer, or a curse upon someone. This modality is frozen to only one particular “wish formula” which may be used as a good wish or a curse. The beneficiarymaleficiary of this wish may be second, first, or third person and may or may not be present. The wish is directed either to a god or to a human or it may be just a generic wish without any particular fullfilling agent in mind. This “wish formula” or optative, as it is also called, combines with all kinds of verbs. • The imperative root toŋ is the verb of the matrix clause. • The subject of the complement clause and the main clause are not always co-referential. • The complement-clause is nominalized with the subjunctive marker -t ɕe and the nominalized existential verb jøp-pa is added. • The whole nominalized complement-clause is the object of the main clause. • The subject of the main verb toŋ is often left implicit. The following examples illustrate this “wish formula” the markers are underlined. 18 .73 raŋ-ki pap-e raŋ-la mellam naŋ-tɕe 2SG-GEN father-ERG 2SG-DAT blessing give[HON]-SBJV jøp-pa toŋ. EXIST-NMLZ;Q send;VBZR[IMP] ‘May your father give you his blessing’ It is customary in Lhomi culture that the father gives his blessing to his family members just before he dies. Speaker says this to someone whose father is very sick. 18 .74 ŋ-e ɖa u-ko ɕi-tɕe jøp-pa toŋ. 1SG-GEN enemy that-head die-SBJV EXIST-NMLZ;Q send;VBZR[IMP] ‘May that enemy of mine die’ This is a generic wish addressed to a god or an evil spirit which is unseen. 18 .75 ŋ-e natsa hi-ko ʈhak-tɕe jøp-pa toŋ. 1SG-GEN sickness this-head be.healed-SBJV EXIST.NMLZ;Q send;VBZR[IMP] ‘May this sickness of mine become healed’ 18.76 khøt-la hi-ntuk t ɕhi-pa nam nam-la ak juŋ-tɕe 2SG-DAT this-ADVZR do;VBZR-NMLZ;Q when when-DAT INCLN come-SBJV mip-pa toŋ. NEG.EXIST-NMLZ;Q send;VBZR[IMP] ‘May that never happen to you’ Speaker has either seen or heard about something bad and pronounces this wish to his friend. 18 .77 ŋ-e kettɕa hi-ko raŋ-ki ha khoo-tɕe 1SG-GEN message this-head 2SG-ERG aud.impact hear;understand-SBJV jøp-pa toŋ. EXIST-NMLZ;Q send;VBZR[IMP] ‘May you understand this message of mine’ Speaker is explaining something which is difficult and he utters this wish.

18.9 Adverbial clauses